Character sketch of Portia
Among the
heroines created by Shakespeare, Portia occupies a high position. She produces
a powerful impression on our minds, and her role in the play is most
conspicuous and memorable. When the play the Merchant of Venice is mentioned
anywhere, people think of two persons, namely Shylock and Portia; and these two
persons are inseparable from each other in our minds because we remember
Shylock chiefly as a villain wanting to take the life of his enemy Antonio, and
we think of Portia as the person who defeats Shylock’s evil design. And, of
course, Portia has other qualities also to impart a measure of greatness to
her.
Her
Sense of Humour and Her Sparkling Wit
Portia has a strong sense of
humour and sparkling. When she is first introduced to us, she tells Nerissa
that she is feeling weary of the world. But this sad mood lasts only for a few
minutes, and she begins to talk about the various suitors who have arrived at
Belmont to try their luck at the caskets. Portia has something very amusing to
say about each of these four suitors. Her comment on her English suitor is
perhaps the most amusing. Portia’s comments on her various suitors show also
her powers of minute observation and her penetrating judgment of human
character.
Her
Devotion to the Memory of Her Father
Portia is devoted to the memory
of her father who, while dying, had devised a kind of lottery for the purpose
of her choice of a husband. She is determined to carry out the terms of her
late father’s will. Of course, she can disregard her father’s
will and marry a man based on her own judgment. But she has implicit
faith in her father’s wisdom, and she is convinced that her father’s will would
prove to be the means of her getting the right man as her husband.
Her
Compassionate Nature
Portia has essentially a
compassionate nature. Her famous “Quality of Mercy” speech is proof of that.
Mercy, she says, is an attribute to God Himself. Unfortunately, the Jew
pays no heed to Portia’s plea. At the same time, we must acknowledge the fact
that, in pronouncing the punishment to which Shylock has rendered himself
liable, she tends to forget her own ardent plea for mercy. She allows the
Christians to have their own way with him. She allows them to force him not
only to part with all his wealth but also to be converted to Christianity.
Her
Modesty, Humility, and Femininity
Although Portia is a woman with a
powerful intellect and extraordinary powers of reasoning, she yet remains a
woman at heart with a lot of modesty, humility, and compassion. When Bassanio
puts his hand on the lead casket, she feels overwhelmed. When he actually opens
the lead casket and, finding her picture in it, claims her with a kiss, she
makes a speech that embodies the very spirit of humility. She describes
herself as an unschooled, un-lessoned, and unpracticed woman, and then goes on
to make a complete surrender of herself to the man who has won her as his wife.
Her
Generous Disposition
Portia is a very large-hearted
and generous woman. Every wealthy person is not generous. Some wealthy persons
are also the greatest misers. Shylock is, of course, the most striking example
of this sort of thing. But Portia combines her vast material wealth with an
inner treasure of generosity. On learning the plight of Bassanio’s dearest
friend, she offers t Bassanio any amount of money that he may need for the rescue
of Antonio from the clutches of the Jew. And then she dons a lawyer’s
clothes to function as a judge in the case because she has hit upon a plan to
save Antonio’s life.
The
Muse of Wisdom and Love
For all these reasons, one of the
critics describes Portia as the Queen of this play, and as the Muse of wisdom
and love.
Character
Sketch of Shylock
A
Villain Deserving of Pity-
Shylock is one of the most well-known characters in all of Shakespeare's plays.
He is also a contentious character. Some critics and readers see him as a
complete villain, while others believe that, despite his villainy, he deserves
some sympathy.
A
swindler- Shylock is a moneylender by
trade. Money lending in and of itself is not something shameful, discreditable,
degrading, or even objectionable. However, money-lending becomes odious and
abhorrent when a money-lender becomes an exploiter by charging exorbitant
interest rates.
His Christian intolerance, as well as his extreme miserliness- Shylock, repulses us not only because of his usury
but also because of his religious intolerance. He despises Christians and
despises them fiercely. At one point in the play, he says in an aside that he
despises Antonio for two reasons: first, because Antonio is a Christian, and
second because Antonio lowers the rate of interest in Venice by lending money
for free.
His
shady and devious dealings- Shylock is a cunning and deceitful man. Initially, he expresses his
reluctance to lend to Antonio because Antonio has been mistreating
him. However, a completely different thought-form in his mind. He then agrees
to make the loan, but on the condition that the bond is signed including a clause
stating that if Antonio fails to repay the loan within three months, he will be
entitled to cut off a pound of Antonio's flesh closest to his heart.
Shylock is an obvious choice for the
play's antagonist because he is the dark character who is unquestionably on the
outskirts of society. He drives the plot's main conflict about the debt, and he
is adamant about wanting Antonio's flesh rather than monetary compensation. The
role of Shylock has been played in a variety of ways. He is sometimes portrayed
as evil, and other times as a result of the bullying he endures in Venice.
